Quantum of Solace

The second movie in the James Bond reboot Quantum of Solace continues on from the end of the first movie Casino Royale.

Where Casino was a fantastic movie, Quantum of Solace falls short in every area, I feel it is one of the weakest Bond films ever. Probably the main reason it wasn't that good was becase Casino Royale was so strong.

There is still a lot of potential in the series and I look forward to the next movie to see what they can do.

Overall:

There were some decent action scenes, but this Bond movie just didn't do it for me.

Movie: Transformers: Revenge of the fallen

Transformers 2 is finally out. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen picks up a few years after the first movie.

This time around there are a ton of Transformers to kick all kinds of ass as they fight each other around the world. There are also a lot of epic fights to watch them rip each other apart.

Michael Bay directs again and doesn't stray too far from his perfect forumula from the first movie. He just multiples it by 100. :-)

Special Effects are great and the music once again is awesome.

Overall:

Fantastic movie. Great action all the way through. Exactly what we wanted from a Transformers movie.

Game: Killzone 2

Killzone 2 on the PS3 is the sequel to the lackluster Killzone on the PS2.

What I liked:

• Graphics that are some of the best ever seen on a home console.
• They really captured the feel that you are part of a huge epic battle. As you are moving around lots of other things are happening in the distance and around you, makes the world come alive.
• Sometimes it looks/feels like you are playing a cutscene, very nice. :-)
• Has a gritty dirty feel, sometimes there will be so much dust you will have to stop firing so the air can clear and you can see again. Very nice touch. :-)

Overall:

Not only is Killzone 2 a graphics powerhouse, its a pretty amazing game overall, worth a play by anyone that has a PS3 and like FPS style games. :-)

Movie: Red Belt

A fight movie with a twist. Red Belt is the latest movie from David Mamet who is the excellent wordsmith behind Glengarry Glen Ross, The Unit and a lot of other great movies.

What I liked:

• Fantastic performances from all the actors invovled.
• Slow burn story that takes a different turn.
• Some great action scenes.

Overall:

Great movie, really well done. Highly recommended. :-)

Acer Aspire Revo

Acers new Mini Desktop is the type of PC I have been waiting for.

Ever since I saw Apple's Mac Mini I was hoping that the PC world would come out with something similar, just way more affordable. :-)

Then when the new Netbooks came out with the new Atom processors but weak Intel graphics I figured great, put that in a tiny box, add a decent graphics chip that can handle decent video and you are set.:-)

It took a while, and Acer have the first promising unit on the way.

Here is hoping this segment takes hold and we see more.

Game: Metal Gear Solid 4

Another series comes to an end, with main games across 3 platforms Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots finishes off the 'interactive movie' series. :-)

What I liked:

• Fantastic graphics that really show off the PS3 hardware.
• Really does the series justice as it finishes up the series for good.
• Lots of great twists and turns.
• The controls are initially hard, but after sinking in, they make sense.

Things to look out for:

Install screens, the first one takes 10 mins and then there is one between each chapter that can be around 2-5 mins. Hopefully this is a thing of the past and future games won't be doing this.

Overall:

Great game, a definite for fans. Newcomers might not like it. Loved how they finished up the whole series.

Playstation 3 console

Playstation 3 time, there are a few games on it that aren't available on any other platform and I had to play them. Plus it apparently plays Blu-Ray discs but I probably won't be doing that anytime soon.

My view of the PS3 is coloured by my Xbox 360 experience.

Out of the box impressions:

• Big and heavy, this feels like a solid piece of hardware.
• Not a single high def cable inside the box? This very strange decision for a Blu-Ray player.
• Takes a standard computer power plug, no external power brick.
• When you insert a disc into it, it sounds like it is eating the disc. It's not, but it was a bit disconcerting the first time.
• The wireless controller doesn't have any bright lights on it which is quite nice.
• Wireless controller has a non replaceable battery, so if you are running low during a game session, you have to run the USB cable. This is just wrong.
• Wifi built in, seems alright, was enough for me to download a system update and browse the PS3 store.
• Hardly any demos of PS3 store games. This was a big disapointment. Every game on the XBOX live arcade system has a demo (it's not like you can rent them as they are only downloadble). Sony need to fix this.
• The games I have played so far really look great.

Overall:

Nice bit of hardware, I might even get around to playing a Blu-Ray on it one day. :-)

Game: Zelda: Twilight Princess

Another Wii game based on a classic: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. This time around things are a little different but it still has the same classic Zelda flavour.

What I liked:

• Sweeping epic saga.
• The game is huge and will take many hours to finish.
• Great new take on the Zelda franchise, not just the same old thing.
• Developers did a great job of working around/within the limitations of the Wii.
• Some really great soundtracks used to great effect.
• Great level design that has you using your brain instead of blindly following a set path.

Overall:

Another great game where you get a much or as little as you want out of it. Overall Zelda: Twilight Princess makes for a great experience. Zelda fans have already played it and anyone that likes platform games can't go wrong. :-)